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DALLAS – Southwest Airlines and a union representing its mechanics may be about to end a bitter and protracted labor dispute that has caused hundreds of flight cancellations and raised security concerns.
The two sides announced Saturday the signing of an agreement in principle after six years of negotiations between the Southwest and the Fraternal Association of Aircraft Mechanics.
The agreement still needs to be voted by about 2,400 mechanics who will receive a 20% increase if the contract is approved. The five-year contract also provides bonuses of $ 160 million for mechanics.
The agreement, reached during a week of mediation, came after the Federal Aviation Administration warned that the deteriorating relationship between Southwest and its mechanics was threatening to undermine the safety management system of the company. company.
Southwest complained of minor maintenance issues reported by mechanics to impose unnecessary flight cancellations, particularly regarding the number of missing seat rows.
The number of canceled flights soared to 62 a day in February, up from 14 normally, according to a complaint filed by Southwest against the union of mechanics for what he said was an illegal slowdown in the work to force the airline to accept contract.
Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest, said flight cancellations cost the airline millions of dollars.
The union had filed its own lawsuit for defamation of Southwest and its chief operating officer.
Both parties made conciliatory statements Sunday but declined to discuss how the agreement in principle could affect their respective lawsuits.
"Our mechanics certainly deserve a new contract, and this state-of-the-art agreement-in-principle takes into account the interests of our employees," said Russell McCrady, vice-president of labor relations for Southwest.
"I congratulate both parties for their hard work and tireless negotiations this week," said Bret Oestreich, national director of the mechanics union.
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